Machu Picchu – expectations, realities and surprises
I visited Machu Picchu 2 1/2 months ago but I dreamt about it the other night. It was so incredibly vivid. When I woke up, I had forgotten that I wasn’t in Cusco anymore. Groggy, I looked around, surprised (and a little sad) to not be in my Cusco ‘home.’ I guess I must be missing Peru. I miss the blue skies, the slow pace and the friendly people. I really miss the delicious and cheap food. And I really, really miss walking everywhere, the well dressed dogs in sweaters and dresses and people watching in the squares.
I also miss ‘adventuring.’ While I have been lucky enough to have a couple of adventures since then, Peru adventures are different. One of the best and most memorable adventures was visiting Machu Picchu with Parker. But the best part was not what you might think. And it was definitely not what I expected.
Machu Picchu
Honestly, I am not sure when I first heard about Machu Picchu but I feel like I have always wanted to visit. Even before I knew much about the Incan people and the history, I knew I wanted to visit this mystical place. What is most fascinating to me are the ‘in between’ years. The Spanish conquered most of the Sacred Valley by 1537 but the Incas were able to hold them off at Ollantaytambo, stopping the Spaniards from crossing the last few peaks and discovering Machu Picchu. According to locals, a select few Incans remained at Machu Picchu over the next 374 years. They were isolated and managed to ‘hide’ the secret of the ancient city from the outside world. In 1911 when Hiram Bingham ‘discovered’ the ruins, it had been a closely guarded secret among a few select Incan families.
Machu Picchu, otherwise known as “The Lost City of the Incas,” has now been open to the public for over 110 years. It was declared an UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. Machu Picchu one of the most widely visited ruins in the world, averaging 1.5 million visitors a year.
(I will now refer to Machu Picchu as MP – it may be that I am committing a serious travelling faux pas or making some Peruvians angry at me but it is easier to type and I think easier for the reader to read. And I was told by a local to never say just Machu – that was not acceptable 😉 So MP stands for Machu Picchu and conscientious Peruvians or pure-at-heart travelers, please do not come for me.)
There are a few options to visit MP and some travelers and bloggers have very definitive opinions as to the correct (or only) way. However, I am of the belief that you should pick the one that best suits your budget, your time frame, your fitness level and ability to be uncomfortable.
If you are someone who is short on time or not comfortable with discomfort or not super fit, then I suggest you take the train to Agua Calientes. Or maybe you just don’t like hiking (weird but okay). Then from Agua Calientes, you can do a half-day trip to MP. One can do a ‘full tour package’ and have someone take care of all of the details or you can simply book your own train ticket to Agua Calientes, book your own stay and then book a tour guide for only MP. It is really important to know that you absolutely cannot enter MP on your own, without a tour guide.
If you have time, money and are both super fit and like discomfort, then I highly suggest trying the Salkantay Trek, which is the 5 day trek along the original Inca trail to MP. It is 70 kms of intense hiking, 4 nights of camping overnight in the cold Andes mountains but with a guide the whole way. I did not actually do this hike but wish I had. Or rather I wish I could – I am not sure my knees would make it to the end. However, I know some who have done this trek and loved it. I have also heard less than great reviews about it, but honestly always relating to the fact that they were not physically prepared for the difficulty of the hike. So be prepared 😉
Another option, which we did, and I LOVED, starts at the Chachabamba ruins (or Km 104). We took a bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, then the train to Km 104, where we got off and started hiking. It was only 12 kms but the altitude change does make it a little challenging. On paper, it starts at 2100m above sea level and ends at 2730m. And 630m altitude gain does not seem that challenging, I know. However, no one tells you about the many valleys and peaks in between.
Having said that, it was completely and totally worth it. At the end of the day, you get a chance to explore the upper part of MP (which you cannot do just coming from Agua Calientes) and then take the bus down to Agua Calientes. The following morning, you can either hike up or take a bus and explore MP.
Realities…
Let me address a couple of realities though. Tickets are sold to ‘circuits’ of Machu Picchu. The parts of the ruins that you will visit, will depend on the tour and/or guide that you book. I was not aware of this beforehand so I was a little surprised the day of to not be able to enter every sector. Having said that, each circuit does include several areas and it was the most incredible view.
We went very early in the morning, which was less busy but much more foggy. I loved it and the fog added to the mystical feeling. However, I did hear people complain about it. It is a trade off, I think – you can choose between more fog or more people. It is one of the most visited places in the world and the crowds swell as the day goes on. Also, as a side note, please do not expect pictures with no one else in them. We got a few but had to work for them.
And surprises…
One surprise that I wish I had known about is how charming Agua Calientes and that there are in fact hot springs right in the town. If you are visiting and have the time and money, I would totally recommend an extra day there to explore the huge market and soak in some hot springs, especially if you actually hiked there. A second surprise was on the way to MP. The ruins of Winay Wayna were unexpected but beautiful – immense Inca terraces used for agriculture similar to Moray. A third surprise was the majesty of the Sun Gate. The Sun Gate sits about 300m above Machu Picchu and photos cannot capture the feeling when you step through it and the views opens up. It was one of the most ‘gasp aloud’ moments that I have had on my travels thus far.
The last and best surprise was the trail itself. I think many people, myself included, view the Inca Trail as both a means to an end and a right of passage. I wanted to do at least part of the Inca Trail to ‘earn’ the visit to MP. (This is just a me thing – not an expectation or requirement or a judgment if you don’t). However, I did not expect that the trail itself would be so incredibly beautiful, inspiring and magical.
I keep on learning, again and again, that the journey is always as important as the destination. And those 12 kms were wonderful. The views were incredible – the mix of the mountains and the edge of the Amazon jungle makes for some of the most incredible natural beauty. Sometimes the quiet was eerie but the feeling of walking that ancient path was really surreal and worth the eerie. Plus the waterfall along the way and the smaller unmentioned ruins here and there added even more. Somehow it was both serene and majestic.
The best surprise…
Added to all of that, we were lucky enough to encounter a small herd of wild llamas on the trail. Our guide Jesse (who was great and a fountain of interesting information) said that it was quite rare. So we had the rare and unexpected privilege of walking with and by a herd of wild llamas. Someone recently told me that I am easily delighted and that may be true. Regardless, I was incredibly and ridiculously delighted to tiptoe around and then actually push through some stubbornly grazing llamas.
Machu Picchu will always be one of my highlights of my time in Peru but not for the reasons that I expected, truthfully. If I could only do one day over again, it would have been the day hiking there and seeing it from the Sun Gate. The hike itself and sharing it with my daughter was beyond what I expected. And that first look of Machu Picchu from Sun Gate – well that view was both breath-taking and completely unexpected. Machu Picchu was obviously wonderful and I am so grateful to have had such a passionate and informed guide. Jesse really brought the “Lost City” to life for us but honestly, the ‘getting there’ was the best part.
If you are interested in doing the Inca Trail, the folks at American Inca Trail are very helpful. If you do book a tour with them, I would ask for Jesse – she was so supportive and informative and just a sweet, kind person. One last thing, if you do the hike and use a porter service, please pack lightly and tip very well. It is my understanding from several locals that the porters do not get paid well and the weight of the packs, coupled with the steep trails – well they have an extremely difficult job and very short lives.
Please reach out and let me know if you have already visited Peru and if not, is it on your ‘travel bucket list?’
And if you plan to visit Machu Picchu and have any questions, please let me know. If you book with American Inca Trail, ask for Jesse – she was awesome. And if you want a more personal or custom tour experience, I can wholeheartedly recommend Boznia Liendo (IG link below) or Cody deWitt (Cusco Hike Club – FB link below). I met some wonderful tour guides in Peru but these two are also exceptional people.
https://americanincatrail.com/
https://www.instagram.com/boznia.liendo/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cuscohikeclub
If you liked this blog post or are planning a trip to Peru, then please check out my posts about Pisac and Moray.
